National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Melanoma is the National Cancer Institute
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal or "ugly looking."
Thinking of "ABCD" can help you remember what to watch for:
- Asymmetry - the shape of one half does not match the other
- Border - the edges are ragged, blurred or irregular
- Color - the color in uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan
- Diameter - there is a change in size, usually an increase
Melanoma can be cured if it is diagnosed and treated early. If melanoma is not removed in its early stages, cancer cells may grow downward from the skin surface and invade healthy tissue. If it spreads to other parts of the body it can be difficult to control.
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Start Here
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Melanoma
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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What You Need to Know about Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers(National Cancer Institute)
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Melanoma
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- JAMA Patient Page: Melanoma(American Medical Association) - PDF
- Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Melanoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- What Is Melanoma?(American Cancer Society)
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Latest News
- Scientists Map Melanoma's Genome(05/09/2012, HealthDay)
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New Survey Finds People Need to Follow the Clues When It Comes to Spotting Skin Cancer(05/07/2012, American Academy of Dermatology)
- Women More Likely to Survive Melanoma Than Men(05/01/2012, HealthDay)
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Scared Straight
(04/26/2012, HealthDay)
- Statins Don't Reduce Melanoma Risk(04/20/2012, Reuters Health)
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"A" Pill Protection(04/04/2012, HealthDay)
- New Therapies Helping Patients with Advanced Melanoma(03/16/2012, American Academy of Dermatology)
- More News on Melanoma
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- How Is Melanoma Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society)
- Lymphoscintigraphy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Melanoma(College of American Pathologists) - PDF
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Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy(National Cancer Institute)
- Skin Biopsy(Logical Images)
- Skin Examinations(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Staging: The First Step in Treating Skin Cancer(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Treatment
- Chemotherapy: What Every Patient Should Know(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Drugs Approved for Melanoma(National Cancer Institute)
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Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Melanoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- New Drugs for Late-Stage Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Treatment of Melanoma by Stage(American Cancer Society)
- Return to top
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Prevention/Screening
- Body Mole Map(American Academy of Dermatology) - PDF
- Can Melanoma Be Prevented?(American Cancer Society)
- Who Is Most at Risk for Melanoma?(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Coping
- How to Cope with a Melanoma Diagnosis(Melanoma International Foundation)
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Disease Management
- What Happens after Treatment for Melanoma?(American Cancer Society)
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Specific Conditions
- Eye Melanoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Four Types of Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Hidden Melanomas(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Malignant Melanoma of the Foot(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
- Also available in Spanish
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Related Issues
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Common Moles, Atypical Moles (Dysplastic Nevi), and Risk of Melanoma(National Cancer Institute)
- Melanoma: How It Returns, Where It Spreads(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Moles (Nevi)(American Academy of Dermatology)
- When to See a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Common Moles, Atypical Moles (Dysplastic Nevi), and Risk of Melanoma
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Pictures & Photographs
- Melanoma: What It Looks Like(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Melanoma(Logical Images)
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What Does a Mole Look Like?(National Cancer Institute)
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What Does Melanoma Look Like?(National Cancer Institute)
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Health Check Tools
- Melanoma Cancer Risk Questionnaire(Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention)
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Tutorials
- Melanoma(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Videos
- Examine Your Skin(Melanoma International Foundation)
- If I Had - A Changing Mole(Insidermedicine)
- If I Had - A Mole in My Eye(Insidermedicine)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Eye Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Melanoma(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Eye Neoplasms
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Genetics
- Genetic Testing for Melanoma Has Limits(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Genetics of Melanoma(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Research
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New Therapies Offer Valuable Options for Patients with Melanoma(National Cancer Institute)
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Researchers Uncover New Mechanism of Resistance to Melanoma Drug(National Cancer Institute)
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Study Suggests Smaller Melanoma Excision Margins May Be Option for Some Patients(National Cancer Institute)
- What's New in Melanoma Research?(American Cancer Society)
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New Therapies Offer Valuable Options for Patients with Melanoma
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute)
- Glossary(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms
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Directories
- Find a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Organizations
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Statistics
- Melanoma Trends(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Skin Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- What Are the Key Statistics about Melanoma?(American Cancer Society)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Children
- Moles in Children: What Parents Should Know(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Teenagers
- Melanoma(Nemours Foundation)
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Men
- More Men Developing Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Patient Handouts
- After chemotherapy - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Melanoma
- Also available in Spanish
- Melanoma of the eye
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
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Melanoma - Multiple Languages